Nobody wants to run against Hakeem Jeffries for speaker

• The House Democrats most often floated as potential challengers don't appear to be interested: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told Axios on Thursday his "dream job" is to chair the House Judiciary Committee.
• "I am not a candidate for speaker in any way. ... I am supporting Hakeem and voting for Hakeem," said Raskin.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) has privately told colleagues she doesn't want the role despite an online movement seeking to draft her, according to multiple House Democrats who have spoken directly with her.

• "Congresswoman Pressley is in active conversations with Leader Jeffries about how to leverage this majority, meet the moment, and deliver for the people," spokesperson Ricardo Sanchez said in a statement to Axios.
• "She is aware of and appreciates the groundswell of support from people in her district and across the country lifting up her leadership."

"He's the only one running," Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) told Axios on Thursday when asked if she plans to vote for Jeffries as speaker.

• Said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.): "I am really encouraging our leadership to make it easy for me to vote for the one person that's running. But as of right now, there's ... no one else that has put their name forward."
• "As far as I've heard, Jeffries is the only person running," said Rep.-elect Randy Villegas (D-Calif.).
• Jeffries said in a NY1 interview: "Someone could always emerge in the next week or so, but right now there are no declared challengers, no indication that anyone may put themselves forward."

The intrigue: For once it's the Senate, not the House, providing all the drama on Capitol Hill.

• Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) launched his bid to replace Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday night.

Yes, but: The progressive grassroots have continued this week to swamp sitting and incoming House Democrats with calls and emails urging them to oppose Jeffries, according to lawmakers and aides.

• Rep.-elect Don Leonard (D-Ohio) told Axios he has gotten an "avalanche of messages."
• Rep.-elect Melat Kiros (D-Colo.) said she is getting "hundreds" of calls "every day" urging her to oppose Jeffries.
• A senior House Democrat who is supporting Jeffries told Axios the callers into their office have suggested "like 10" different members as possible alternatives.

Jeffries has pushed back on Axios' reporting that members are being flooded with calls, saying in his NY1 interview: "There's no indication that members of Congress have been overwhelmed by any calls."

State of play: Jeffries has begun meeting with skeptics ahead of House Democrats' Nov. 18 leadership elections. He is expected to easily win the nomination for speaker, determined by a simple majority vote of the caucus.

• The real question is whether any House Democrats will oppose him on the House floor on Jan. 3 and deny him the unanimous support he has enjoyed from his caucus since becoming leader in 2022.
• "We're going to continue to talk to every single member of the House Democratic caucus, both current members and incoming members, about what we all can do together for the American people," Jeffries told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.
• The Democratic leader said he is "confident that we're on a positive trajectory" but takes "nothing for granted."

Between the lines: Several Democratic House members and members-elect predicted that, given the grassroots pressure bearing down on progressives right now, at least a handful are likely to openly oppose him.

What they're saying: Leonard told Axios he sat down with Jeffries on Wednesday and shared what he has heard from callers, including "that the Democratic establishment brand is in the toilet and that the leader's name is synonymous with the Democratic establishment."

• Ramirez said she has "begun conversations" with Jeffries and intends to "have more next week."
• Asked if Jeffries has met with the Jeffries-skeptic "Bloc" of incoming progressives, she said: "It is my understanding that that they're scheduling time to meet with them."
• Reps.-elect Richard Ojeda (D-N.C.) and LaKesha Womack (D-N.C.) said Jeffries met Wednesday with members of the North Carolina delegation, many of whom are holdouts in the speaker election.
• "We're still having conversations, we're still listening ... at the end of the day, we're going to all sit together, we're going to listen to everything and we're going to move forward like that," said Ojeda.

The bottom line: "I mean, right now, I don't even know if there's anybody that's stepping up against him," Ojeda added.